“Change of plans, I’ll be in the senate office,” said Keith Joseph Hubbard at 8:07 a.m. on Feb. 24. Hubbard, 28, student Senate Vice President of Campus Environment and Sustainability, usually starts his mornings at Coffee Society drinking tea and collecting his thoughts for the day. Today is different. By 8:30 he is in the Senate office collecting his day’s paperwork instead of his sanity before his political science class in an hour.

“You end up being consumed by all of this,” says Hubbard as he shuffles through his bicycle messenger bag.

The walls of the president’s office in the student senate room are paper thin, Hubbard said. Every time he begins to speak, the senators seated outside the office are silenced by one another. The more risky senators simply peer through the window to see who Hubbard is talking to.

“It’s a scary thought,” Hubbard says of the politics found in politics. ” Each day brings in new challenges.”

One challenge that Hubbard struggles with is being an environmentalist in a time of recession. A project of his that fell apart a couple of weeks ago was TGIF, a green initiative. Sustainability projects aren’t easily retained because of the lack of instant gratification. When there isn’t enough money to go around, people like it to be spent on projects where results can be seen right away.

Hubbard doesn’t let this discourage him and he supports the environment in small ways throughout the office. He prints on both sides of the paper, and urges his senate members to follow his lead. He stands behind clubs who use sustainable practices and supports up and coming groups that are willing to do the same.

By 11:27 a.m. his poli sci class is over; they discussed amendments and talked about the importance of participating in the census. Hubbard heads immediately to the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement building to start work. Hubbard explains that the ICCE represents unrepresented people on the De Anza College campus.

Hubbard pulls out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as he explains that the next task on his agenda is to attend the Inter Club Council meeting at 1:30 p.m. To prepare for this meeting, he plans on visiting and talking to as many groups as he can. He has two hours to gather his thoughts, and he just got to work.

Between answering e-mails from students and faculty, Hubbard reviews the budget for the Senate meeting at 3:30 p.m. He tries to “powermap” everything while preparing mentally to deal with the meeting, which could last anywhere from six to nine hours. The reason he receives so many e-mails is because he is the liason between outside organizations and students, his job in the ICCE.

There is a struggle on a daily basis in terms of dealing with interoffice dating and friendship, said Thomasina Russaw, a De Anza Associated Student Body junior senator who also works in the ICCE with Hubbard. You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, Russaw stressed. And don’t lose your focus, added Hubbard.

By 1 p.m. Hubbard is on his way to the ICC meeting to give an announcement about Earth Day. He sits next to Dora Ventura, who is running for the ICC Chair of Programs position. The meeting lasts about an hour, and by 2 p.m. Hubbard is on his way to Whole Foods to pick up some snack food for Russaw and himself.

Hubbard is back in the Senate room with veggie lasagna, a container of hummus and a baguette by 3:30 p.m. This is the second budget meeting and tensions are running high.

“I feel the pressure’s building,” Hubbard said.

The agenda states that the budget is to be discussed first and the election proceedings second. Hubbard expresses his view that nobody is going to want to discuss the election after four and a half hours deciding the budget.

Hubbard decides to leave after the budget portion of the agenda ends at 7 pm, because he is drained after the meeting. After hours of school activities, it’s time to do some homework